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Report Produced: 02/27/2026 08:45 AM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Year
20130114 Histology--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: How is the histology coded when the bone marrow biopsy shows acute myeloid leukemia, but the physician states this is therapy-related AML secondary to prior radiation treatment? See Discussion. Physician states this patient has radiation therapy-related AML due to radiation received as treatment for a prior prostate cancer. The bone marrow and other immunophenotyping do not state this is therapy-related AML. Should the histology be coded AML, NOS [9861/3] or therapy-related AML [9920/3]?

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Code the histology as therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia, NOS [9920/3] when the physician states this is a therapy-related AML.

The therapy-related diagnosis may be either clinically or pathologically stated to code the histology to 9920/3. In this case, the physician is aware of the previous chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiation and adds that knowledge to the histologic findings of AML. The pathology report did not include this clinical, historical information as part of the final diagnosis. However, one can code therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia because clinically it was stated.

We recommend that you clearly document in the abstract that you are coding a clinical histology.

SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx.

2013
20130160 Histology--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Should the histology be coded to a therapy-related myeloid neoplasm when the physician states the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia is secondary to treatment with Imuran? See Discussion.

Patient has a diagnosis of AML for which the physician recommends a bone marrow transplant. The physician indicated the diagnosis is actually a secondary AML due to treatment with Imuran for polymyalgia rheumatica. The physician also stated this is a high risk type of AML.

Imuran is not a chemotherapy agent per SEER*Rx. Can the histology be coded as 9920/3 (e.g., Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia, NOS) when the patient has not been treated with chemotherapy for a reportable disease? The physician is a bone marrow transplant expert who states the AML is therapy-related disease. Bone marrow disease is a listed as a risk for treatment with Imuran.

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Code this histology to 9920/3 [therapy-related myeloid neoplasm] when the physician states the acute myeloid leukemia is therapy-related.

Therapy-related AML can result from any systemic therapy for benign or malignant diseases. In this case, AML resulted from immune system-suppressing therapy with Imuran for a benign disease, polymyalgia rheumatica. The drugs that induced the AML do not have to be listed in the SEER*Rx database.

SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx.

2013
20130123

Primary site--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: How is the primary site coded for a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, immunoblastic variant involving the left maxillary vestibule and entire left maxilla? See Discussion.

The clinical history indicates a destructive, quickly growing intra-oral lesion in the left soft tissue vestibule and the entire left maxilla.

Pathology report final diagnosis: Oral cavity, left maxilla, incisional biopsy: Malignant lymphoma, non-Hodgkin, diffuse large B-cell type, immunoblastic variant.

Code the primary site to C068 [overlapping lesion of the mouth] per Rule PH24. Code the primary site to the organ when lymphoma is present only in an organ.

This lesion overlaps the left soft tissue of the maxilla (the maxillary gingiva) [C030] and the left vestibule of the mouth [C061]. There is no documentation indicating in which specific site the lesion arose. The maxilla is the upper jawbone. The soft tissue that overlies the maxilla is a part of the oral cavity. It is reasonable to interpret the documentation such that the tumor in the maxilla is an extension of the overlapping oral mucosa tumor.

SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx.

 2013
20130125 Reportability--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Is self-healing Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the skin reportable?

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

This is a reportable primary. Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) [9751/3] is a reportable neoplasm.

The term "self-healing" means that the neoplasm regressed without treatment. This is a known phenomenon.

SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx.

2013
20130127 Reportability--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: When did smoldering myeloma become reportable?

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Smoldering multiple myeloma [9732/3] has always been a reportable neoplasm. Per the Abstractor Notes section in the Heme, smoldering multiple myeloma is a variant of multiple myeloma in which the diagnostic requirements for multiple myeloma are met, but there is no organ damage. The patient is usually asymptomatic.

Smoldering myeloma is listed under the Alternate Names section in the Heme DB for multiple myeloma [9732/3] to clarify that it is a reportable neoplasm.

Report all new diagnoses of smoldering multiple myeloma now. Registries are not required to spend time and effort to find these cases if they have not been reporting them in the past. However, report earlier earlier cases if encountered today while performing casefinding or chart review procedures.

SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx.

2013
20130089 MP/H Rules/Histology--Breast: How is the histology coded when a pre-treatment core biopsy showed ductal carcinoma, but the mastectomy specimen following neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed lobular carcinoma? See Discussion. 11/06/2012 Ultrasound-guided biopsy of the left breast and left axilla showed invasive ductal carcinoma. The patient underwent 6 months of chemotherapy. In 05/2013 the patient underwent a mastectomy that showed invasive lobular cancer, pleomorphic type, with 11 axillary lymph nodes negative.

The histology is coded to lobular carcinoma, NOS [8520/3] because the mastectomy (the most representative specimen) showed only lobular carcinoma.

The MP/H Rules state to code the histology from the most representative tumor specimen examined. Although this patient underwent neoadjuvant treatment, there is no indication that the ultrasound-guided biopsy contained more tumor than the mastectomy. The mastectomy is the most representative specimen and should be used to code the histology.

2013
20130151 Primary site--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: What is the primary site when a splenectomy shows "T large granular lymphocytic leukemia" and the peripheral blood flow cytometry is negative? See Discussion. The physician note states there is no evidence of leukemia on peripheral blood. The disease is localized to the spleen. Is the primary site coded to the bone marrow [C421] or can it be coded to the spleen [C422]?

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Code the primary site to C421 [bone marrow]. Leukemias are coded to the bone marrow per the Heme DB.

SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx.

2013
20130024

MP/H Rules/Histology--Bladder: How many primaries are accessioned and what rule applies when the patient has a mixed tumor with a urothelial carcinoma, NOS and a more specific histologic type followed by a diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma? See Discussion.

The MP/H Rules do not specifically cover how to process urothelial carcinomas with a more specific type of carcinoma.

Patient 1: Diagnosed in April 2010 with invasive urothelial carcinoma with signet ring features of the bladder. Site and histology are coded as C679 [bladder] and 8490/3 [signet ring cell carcinoma]. In January 2012 a subsequent diagnosis of invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is made [C679, 8120/3].

Patient 2: Diagnosed in November 2009 with invasive papillary urothelial carcinoma with micropapillary and mucinous features of the bladder. Site and histology are coded C679 [bladder] and 8480/3 [mucinous carcinoma]. In April 2012 a subsequent diagnosis of high grade papillary and flat urothelial carcinoma without evidence of invasion is made [C679, 8130/2].

Does rule M9 apply and these are new primaries?

For cases diagnosed 2007 and later, accession two primaries for each patient, signet ring cell carcinoma of the bladder and invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder for patient 1 and mucinous carcinoma of the bladder and non-invasive papillary urothelial carcinoma of the bladder for patient 2.

The steps used to arrive at this decision are:

Open the Multiple Primary and Histology Coding Rules Manual. Choose one of the three formats (i.e., flowchart, matrix or text). Go to the Urinary MP rules because site specific rules exist for this primary.

Start at the MULTIPLE TUMORS module, rule M3. The rules are intended to be reviewed in consecutive order within a module. For both patients, rule M9 applies because the tumors have histology codes that are different at the second (xxx) number.

This guideline will be reviewed for the next version of the MP/H Rules.

 2013
20130165 MP/H Rules/Multiple primaries--Thyroid: How many primaries are reported and what is histology for the papillary carcinomas if a Classical cytomorphology with a follicular architecture is on the right and a Columnar cell cytomorphology with a follicular and papillary architecture is on the left? See Discussion.

  • Dominant Tumor: Tumor

  • Laterality: Right lobe

  • Tumor Size: Greatest dimension: 9 cm

  • Histologic Type: Papillary carcinoma

  • Variant, specify: Classical

  • Architecture: Follicular

  • Cytomorphology: Classical

  • Tumor Size: Greatest dimension: 6 cm

  • Histologic Type: Papillary carcinoma

  • Variant, specify: Columnar cell

  • Architecture: Solid, follicular, and papillary

  • Cytomorphology: Columnar cell

    • The answer seems to hinge on whether or not the two tumors differ at the third digit of histology. Can we code the histology based on the terms listed for variant or architecture?

    		This is a single thyroid primary. The tumors are both papillary carcinoma with follicular architecture for the most part. Apply Rule M6 and abstract a single primary. 2013
    		20130062 Date of diagnosis--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Should the diagnosis date be coded to the date of the flow cytometry on the peripheral blood or the date of the bone marrow biopsy for a diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/low grade B-cell lymphoma? See Discussion. Is a flow cytometry on peripheral blood alone diagnostic of a hematopoietic malignancy (CLL)? If not, when the diagnosis is verified by a subsequent histologic diagnosis (bone marrow biopsy) would the diagnosis date be the date of the peripheral blood flow cytometry or the date of the bone marrow biopsy? The Class of Case depends on this diagnosis date.

    For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

    Code the diagnosis date to the date of the peripheral blood flow cytometry because this is a procedure used to diagnose CLL. Per both the Abstractor Notes and the Definitive Diagnostic Methods sections in the Heme DB, CLL is diagnosed by flow cytometry (immunophenotyping).

    SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx.

    		2013